After weeks of talking about getting my septum pierced I finally found myself in the right frame of mind. The first weekend I thought about getting it done I was far too miserable and a bit stressed – definitely not the sort of mood I wanted to go into such an experience with. Then the second weekend we were far too busy to fit a trip to Camden in. BUT at last the third weekend of trying to get it done I finally got out of bed on the Sunday and went "today is the day!" Hoorah!
At A Glance Author kermee Contact kermee@bme.anon IAM kermee When Three months ago Artist Julie Studio ColdSteel Location Camden, UK I had decided to go to Coldsteel in Camden – as recommended by others on IAM. I had been told that it wasn't necessary to make an appointment on the Sunday as they were usually quiet. I had a yummy bacon and egg sandwich for brekky/lunch and made my way to Camden on the tube. I arrived at the studio at about midday and lucky me – I got to go straight in!
I was extremely nervous by this time and talking at a great rate of knots. Anthony (my other half) had to tell me to shut up! The toilet was required before I went into get pierced and I was informed that I had to go to the bar across the road and use theirs (which was strange to me – what happens when the staff need to go to the toilet? Do they have to go across the road too?). The walk across the road and back seemed to have a slightly calming effect, and when I came back, the room was in the process of being prepared and Julie (my piercer for the day) was ready to roll.
I sat myself on the table and Anthony, my ever trusty photographer and moral support, came in with me and the door was shut behind him. There was no turning back now (not that the thought crossed my mind at all!) and the next thing Julie was preparing my nose with some menthol smelling liquid which made my nose tickle. I resisted the urge to scratch my nose and took one last look in the mirror next to the table at my nose minus septum piercing.
Then Julie asked me to lie back on the table and have my head hanging over the edge of the table. I felt a little uncomfortable with this to start with, but when she started to look into my nose and find the "sweet spot" as she called it, it made more sense. From what I could see Julie was using a wooden stick (?) on one side of my septum and a metal taper (from what I could see being cross-eyed) to find the right spot. Then once she had found it, it was time to be pierced.
>From what I had read here on BME and from talking to people about their septums, I had in my mind that it would be a rather painful piercing. Thankfully Julie is an excellent talker and distracted me from the piercing at hand. She lined up the needle and the receiving tube, told me to take a few deep breaths and we were away. It was a definite pinch but after that there was only some movement and a little bit of pressure (putting the retainer in and taking the needle out) - I was almost disappointed that there wasn't any more pain than that! I had a tear or two, but nothing like when I had the side of my nose pierced. I cleaned myself up and asked a few questions about flipping the jewellery up as I need to have it hidden for work. Then before I knew it we were walking out of the shop!
I had no problems with it on the first night of having it, Julie had told me to flip it up when I slept so that it wouldn't get caught on anything in the night. The second day of having it was the real test. It was a little black and bruised around the area and along the side of my nose. It had also made it almost impossible to smile or yawn without feeling like all the little hairs in my nose were being ripped out one by one which made me cry more than having it pierced! I think that was the only thing that I hadn't been told about.
2 months into the life of my septum it was doing very well. I haven't had any problems with it and there was only ever a little crusty discharge in the first few weeks and there has never been any blood! No one has guessed it is there when I wear the retainer flipped up at work – so I am guessing that in my case the retainer is a very good thing! Changing the jewellery has been the easiest thing. It seems to find the hole even though I can't see the hole myself – something that I was concerned about up until I changed the jewellery for the first time. In my honest opinion... this has been one of the most trouble-less piercings I have had to this date!